Girl on Fire (The Hunger Games Victorious Style)
by Dark Angel Night
Summary: What if you woke up one day and your worst nightmare became reality? 16 year old Jadelyn West lives with her cousin & estranged father. When the day of the reaping approaches for the annual Hunger Games, she doesn't even think about what might happen...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey people.**

**Here goes nothing as I try to attempt to write a Victorious fic based on The Hunger Games. So R&R, tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Dan Shneider, the owner of Victorious. Nor am I Suzanne Collins, I own nothing of the Hunger Games. Any mistakes and errors are my fault. Nor am I famous. I own none of this.**

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**Chapter 1- The Reaping**

The pale grey morning light pours through the window and into my face. My eyelids flutter open and I'm suddenly aware of something holding onto me. I look down to see a small red haired form clinging to my body and sigh.

My cousin must have come in sometime last night when I was out cold. Probably having nightmare again. But I don't blame her, since today is the day of the reaping. But I have to go.

I disentangle myself from Cat's arms and she whimpers a bit. I sigh again and put her stuffed giraffe in her arms. She sighs as well and rolls over.

I lace up my combat boots, tie my black hair into a spiky ponytail and look back silently at her sleeping figure. She still looks like the child that showed up ten years ago, orphaned by the same train crash that was the end of my mother. Even then, when were both six, I was stronger than she was.

I was still as stone but inside I felt as if I was dying. I wouldn't believe them when they told me. I'd yelled and screamed that my mother would come back. I refused to believe she was dead...until they had pulled her body from the ashes and she was lying cold on on tabletop, waiting to be dressed for burial. I couldn't think or breathe. It was like someone had knocked all the air out of my lungs. I tried to shake her, tears streaming down my face, foolishly begging heaven that she was only unconscious. But I couldn't do anything.

Cat-oh my word, Cat. She was a broken mess, screaming and crying when they brought in her parents. She had blacked out finally and I caught her. When she woke up hours later, she sobbed like her heart had been ripped out. She cried to me that she wanted her parents back and I had told her that crying wouldn't help. Which only made it worse, and I thought she's burst a blood vessel with all the crying she was doing. Thoughtlessly, I had told her she could come live with us.

It stopped her tears, and my father consented after hours and hours of begging and pleading. But he caved in eventually. Cat was ecstatic and I'm glad. I hate most people, but when it comes to my cousin, I'd kill anyone to protect her.

I kiss her forehead lightly and slip out of the house silently. The streets are empty and the sound of my boots hitting the rocky road echo around me. Normally, all the Region 12 kids are playing around, but not today. Reaping day-when everyone from the ages of fifteen to nineteen are counting down the minutes until two o'clock, when the reaping of the tributes would happen.

I shake off the thoughts as I duck under the wire fence that separates our region from the woods. It's supposed to be an electric one, but since it broke down after the train collision, no one's bothered to fix it. I doubt anyone ever will.

I jog through the forest and pull out a spear, my bow and a quiver of arrows from a fallen tree log and take a deep breath. Time to hunt.

I walk noiselessly through the forest when my foot gets caught in a ditch and I'm abruptly yanked up into the air. I let out a shriek as I dangle by one foot from a tree. "ANDREAS HARRIS I SWEAR, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU WILL PAY," I scream at the top of my lungs. I attempt to untie my foot and fail miserably.

A boy with dark skin and dreadlocks runs over to where I'm standing. "Hey Jade. You look a bit hung up there," he says, laughing. I let out a low growl in his direction, which, in turn, only makes him laugh harder.

"Get me down before I shoot you, "I say, pulling out an arrow and aiming at his direction.

"You wouldn't shoot your best friend, would you? And just so you know, if for some reason you do, you'll never get down," he says, tugging the weapon out of my hands.

I sigh and frown at him. "Please get me down?" I ask in a sweet voice, giving him a sad and wounded look. Through the pale morning light I can see the dark circles under his eyes and know immediately that he was worrying about being picked and no one would take care of his crazy grandmother for him.

He pulls out a knife and cuts my foot loose carefully, so he won't jostle me that much. I look at his face carefully, and sigh. I've known him practically since birth, but with time his face hardened because of the loss of his parents as well in the crash. The rope snaps suddenly and I fall down on top of him.

He grunts and stands up, grabbing my hand and pulling me up as well. "Well that was painful," he says, wincing as he lets go of me and brushes off his pants.

I roll my eyes and jab him in the ribs. "It's your fault for hanging me up there in the first place," I say, yanking the rest of the rope down from the tree and retrieving my fallen weapons.

He shrugs and pulls something out of his bag. He hands me a small cup of something warm and I take a deep breath, inhaling the heavenly aroma as he pulls out a loaf of bread. "Coffee? How much did you pay for this? And the bread?" I ask, shaking my head. Food is hard enough to get here in Region 12, and very expensive. Coffee is an unthinkable rare delicacy that only the richest people enjoy.

"Give or take about three quarts of strawberries and six birds," he says shaking his head when I offer him a sip of my coffee. "That's for the coffee only. The bread cost me about three squirrels."

I arch an eyebrow and take a sip of my coffee. Guess the lowered the prices since today is the day of the reaping. We're all living in fear of that. "Thanks," I say quietly.

He gives me a half-hearted half smile. "Happy Hunger Games, Jade," he says, sighing and picking up the spear by his side, changing his mind, dropping it, picking up the knife and starting to cut the bread.

"And may the odds be _ever_ in your favour," I say, mimicking Trina Vega's accent. She's the one that reads the names out of the tributes on live television, for all of Panem to see. It makes it more humiliating than it already is.

After we finish our breakfast, we hunt for several hours and check the traps. We end up with fourteen rabbits, sixteen squirrels and 2 pounds of strawberries. We divide the spoils in half and walk towards the gate.

"I'll see you at the reaping," I whisper softly, looking away. I don't want to imagine what I'll do if he's picked. It can't happen, and I refuse to believe that it might.

"Wear something pretty," he murmurs, starting to walk off before turning back to me. I arch an eyebrow at him and tilt my head to the side. "We don't have to do this."

I push some of my black hair out of my face and shake my head. "Explain, cause I'm not getting what you're trying to say," I respond evenly. I'm dying to know the explanation to this.

He says it so quickly I have to ask him to repeat it. He says it again, slower, but just as excitedly as if he believes his plan will work. "We could run off and live in the woods. You and I- we could make it."

I shake my head slowly. "What would happen to Cat? Your grandmother?" I grit my teeth before reluctantly adding, "And My father?"

"We'd take them with us," he says, eyes sparkling with false hope.

I sigh, hating to break it to him. "You're grandmother's crazy. And Cat's scared of her own shadow; the woods would destroy her completely."

"Whatever," He says coldly, clearly put out.

"Andre…"I say, reaching towards him. He shakes his dark head and starts walking towards hi house. "It was a stupid idea Jadelyn. I'll see you at the reaping."

I open my mouth then shut it. He knows I can't argue with him about that. "Whatever." I practically run from the fence into my house.

This is ridiculous. We're both nervous and we're taking it out on each other. It's the stress about being picked. Since the day you turn fifteen, once a year your name goes into the pool of tributes for a chance to be reaped in the annual Hunger Games. The Games is a reminder of the rebellion and how it must never happen again.

Every Games, one name is reaped from the girl's pool and one from the boy's pool in every region. These select few are called tributes. They fight to the death in a larger outdoor arena: the last one standing is crowned victor and is lavished with gifts of money and food for the region for the remainder of their lives.

But say you're not as wealthy, or poor, like me and Andre. You can get extra food and money…in exchange for having your name added to the pool more times. The times add up, so this year, Andre's name will be in the pool twenty-six times-twice because he had to, the other times for the extra food and money. Even when they give it to us, it's never enough to live on. I have my name entered forty-four times.

When I arrive at the house, Cat is wearing a pale pink dress that reaches her knees and her vibrant red hair is swept up in a high ponytail. She smiles when she sees me, running over and hugging me tightly when I walk through the door. "Jadey!"

"Hey Kitty Cat," I manage a tired smile for her sake. "Don't you look pretty?"

She giggles, then releases me from her embrace so I can go shower. I scrub my hair until my hands turn brown with the dirt of the forest. Blech.

By the time I've finished drying off, I look at my bed to find that my father has left one of my mother's dresses on the bed. It's a wispy black one that has sleeves that reach my elbows and the bottom brushes my ankles when I wear it. Worn black flats with bows on the them are laid beside them.

I raise an eyebrow but pull on the clothes, leaving my dark waves to frame my face, making a striking contrast-midnight against porcelain. My father treasures the clothes my mother used to have-they're all he has left of her. I can't help but wonder why he left it here for me to wear.

I gaze into the cracked mirror at my reflection. I look like a carbon copy of my mother when she was my age, from the photographs she used to show me. My reflection blurs and I hastily brush away any tears that sprung into my eyes as a result of thinking of my mother. I breathe shakily and straighten my dress.

Cat looks at me in silent awe when I step out of the room. "You look beautiful Jadey," she says, her eyes wide. It's all I can do not to cry when she adds softly, "You look just like your mother."

I smile at her half-heartedly and bite my lower lip to keep it from trembling. "We'd better go now," I say quietly as she takes my hand. I'm not gonna worry about her being chosen- her name's only been entered twice since there's no point adding her name in more times if I'm already doing it.

We walk in silence and tell the guards our names when we arrive at the Justice Building, where the reapings are held. They check off our names and let us in. We go to stand with the rest of the sixteen year olds in the designated section.

I glance at the bowl and suck in a breath sharply. Forty-four of those slips have Jadelyn West written on them in disgustingly perfect handwriting. The odds are definitely not in my favour today.

Katrina (better known as just Trina) Vega mounts the stage in her 12 inch bubble gum pink high heels. It's a miracle she doesn't fall off the stage. "Welcome, welcome, to the reaping of the Seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games! I'm Trina Vega, live here from Region 12," she chirps happily.

"Welcome, welcome, to the reaping of the Seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games!" I imitate her under my breath. Cat giggles and I shush her as Vega starts blabbing on and on about how Panem rose from the ashes of a place called North America. Ruled by the Capitol and ringed by thirteen regions. When the regions rebelled, twelve were defeated and the thirteenth completely obliterated. Same story as every year.

"The Capitol gave us a second chance," Trina gushes, flipping her caramel brown hair over her shoulder. "But freedom comes with a price. So without further ado, let's introduce the female tribute from Region 12 to be this year's tribute!"

Her hand reaches into the bowl and a hush falls over the entire outdoor courtyard. Everyone's holding their breath before she reads out the name of the unfortunate girl who will be tossed into the arena.

She pulls out the slip and I clench my hand into a fist, my nails digging into my hand as she opens it. She doesn't call out my name, no she does much worse. She makes my worst nightmare a reality.

"Caterina Valentine."

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**And there ends the first chapter of THG-Victorious style. Questions, concerns, complains? Just tell me.**

**Hope you enjoyed, R&R.**

**Dark Angel Night, over and out!**

**Waittttttt. I may be changing my pen name so watch out for the update that'll tell you what It's gonna be. Kay? Bye.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey again**

**Life's been really retarded lately, so sorry about the slow updates . I'll update when I can.**

**chasingafterstarlight- Haha thanks. I was debating who to cast as who so at the end I kinda chose Jade as Katniss, Andre as Gale, Cat as Prim, Trina as Effie...and you'll see the rest of the cast in either this chapter or the next**

**Disclaimer- .-. Okayyyyy uhhh guess what? I wrote Victorious AND the Hunger Games! Wait- no I didn't. If you thought I did then o.O**

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**Chapter 2- The Tributes**

The color drains from Cat's face, leaving her paler than me and whiter than paper. She can't believe that this happened. She numbly pushes past me and starts slowly walking towards the stage, her tears glistening in the sunlight like diamonds as they silently fall down her cheeks. The whole place is screaming silence at the top of it's lungs. The shock of everyone seems to drain the energy out of the place, since most of them know Cat. And how helpless she is.

My mind is reeling and I almost collapse to the ground. _Cat _of all people, _Cat_ is going to fight in the Games. Some random girl grabs my arm and holds me up. I look at my cousins face and see the pure terror and shock of being chosen written all over her face. I stand up and shake the girl's arm off me. "Cat!" I manage to choke out, running forward towards her. They all part to let me through to her.

Two guards step out and grab me, pinning my arms behind my back. I thrash at them and kick them, but the only tighten my grip on me, cutting off my circulation. "Let me go," I growl, but they don't seem to notice...or care. "I volunteer!" I hear my self scream. They immediately let go of my arms and I crash to the ground, dust flying up into my face. I ignore the stinging feeling in my eyes and their offers of helping me up, running to Cat and pushing her behind me. "I volunteer as tribute."

"No!" she cries, clinging tightly to my waist as tears pour down her small face as I try to walk forward to the stage. It's all I can do to keep the tears fromm rolling down my face as well. "Cat let me go," I say quietly but firmly. She sobs harder and grips tighter on my waist, making it harder to breathe each passing second while sobbing as violently as the day she saw her parents' lifeless bodies. "Let _go_."

She shakes her head, her body trembling with spasms of sobbing and shaking. Somewhere from around the back of the crowd, Andre comes and grabs Cat, gently pulling her away from me. She refuses and he's forced to rip her away from me, her nails scratching my skin through the fabric. I wince slightly as the pain sears throughout my waist, but I try not to let the pain show much on my face. She screams , crying and kicking him but he holds her firmly. "Up you go Jade," he says, his voice thick as if he's trying to hold back tears.

I nod in his direction in silent thanks as I mount the stage. Trina's shocked expression passes in a second as she regains her composure and she grabs my arm, helping me onto the stage. For a second I think we'll both fall until I regain my balance and she lets go of me "Well, isn't this an exciting day?" she says in her usual chippy tone. "What's your name?" She points the microphone in my direction.

"Jadelyn West," I manage to choke out, grateful that I'm still able to speak, even if I feel like I'm gonna either puke or fall over. Wouldn't that make a scene?

"Brave thing you did there. Uh, who's this girl that you would put your life on the line for?" she asks, raising an eyebrow slightly We've never had a volunteer before in the history of Region 12...today I was the first.

There are many answers that I could tell her about who Cat is. Adopted sister. Best friend. Cousin. Relative. Family friend. "She's my sister," I say quietly. I feel Cat looking at me and I give a weak smile for her sake, but I don't dare to look at her to avoid crying.

"Oh, she is," Trina trills, donning a huge fake smile. Man I'd love to just slap her right now. "Let's have a huge round of applause for the first volunteer ever in the history of Region 12, Jadelyn West!"She applauds quite loudly until she realizes that she's the only one clapping.

Instead, the people of Region 12 look at me mournfully and press the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips, holding it out to me. I choke back a sob at the gesture, one rarely even seen at funerals anymore. It's a sign of saying goodbye who meant a lot to you. I mean that much to people?

"Well," Trina says, unsure of what to make of this gesture. "Let's find out who our male tribute is!" She walks awkwardly over to the glass bowl containing the names of the boys' names as my heart's pounding in my head. God, please don't let it be Andre, please don't let it be Andre, please don't let it be-

"Beckett Oliver," she reads out, looking at the crowd. Nonononononono. Please tell me I heard wrong. Please tell me I'm just sleeping. This isn't real, this isn't happening, I'll wake up in a few minutes to Cat singing some random Taylor Swift song. But the odds aren't in my favor today.

A tall, tanned, muscular boy with long, pitch black hair stands up from somewhere in the crowd. His dark, coffee colored eyes dart from me to Trina to the audience, and back again as he takes his place on the other side of her. My eyes meet his and I gulp uncomfortably.

There is no possible way he can remember me. He was always one of the guys in school that girls were all over and guys wanted to be his best friend, while I was the dark, hostile mean girl that no one understood could have a relation to the ever happy Cat Valentine. His family lived in the richer side of town while mine lived in the poorer. We only had a brief interaction ten years ago, during one of the darker days. One interaction I knew I would never forget...

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**Sorry this is a bit shorter but I didn't have as much time to write it.**

**-DAN**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Flashbacks.**_

_It was a dark and rainy day in Panem._

_I had tried to find a buyer for some of Cat's old clothing the entire day, but no one seemed interested in threadbare baby clothes. I couldn't even strike up a deal at the blackmarket, which was unsual. Normally there'd be at least one person generous enough to offer a few coins in exchange for the clothing._

_My father had taken off not long after the incident that took away not only my mother, but my cousin's parents as well. _

_He never looked back. We were left to fend for ourselves, and I didn't dare tell any of the officials. They would only ship me and Cat off to some foster home to some fate worse than not having any adults around to support us._

_I'd seen some of those kids at school, and swore to myself that I would never end up like them, even if it killed me. To have Cat end up like them was unthinkable. __To see her red hair fade to a dirty brown, her playful Bambi eyes turn black and souless- I wouldn't let that happen. _

_Not, now, not ever. She was my only family and I'd do anthing for her._

_But we hand long ago run out of money. We had always been so careful about where and how we spent it, but the day came when there was nothing left._

_That day was about a week ago, and we were slowly starving to death._

_If we could only get enough food to last us about a week and a half, I'd be able to sign up for more food in exchange for having my name entered more times in the reaping bowl._

_I couldn't come home empty handed again and stare into her sad eyes, fall asleep to the sound of her whimpering softly about a painful stomach when she thought no one would hear her._

_I had to keep going._

_'Just one more street,' I told myself, pushing myself to my feet. 'One more street and then you can start looking through the garbage or start begging.'_

_I stood up shakily, my limbs screaming out in protest as I started to walk down the street. It hurt like hell, but I just clenched my teeth and fought back the urge to cry out. _

_A cat darted across my path and I fell face-first into the puddle in front of me, the clothes flying everywhere around me. I swore under my breath when my stomach hit the pavement, the tears I'd been holding back for so long springing into my eyes._

_I was tired of walking around. My stomach ached from not eating and I had a searing headache. My hands were shaking and I was chilled to the bone. I wanted my mom..._

_After a moment, I forced myself into a sitting position, the smells from the bakery only increasing the instense throbbing in my head. I kicked over the trashcan, desperately hoping that they would've thrown something out-maybe some stale bread or a burned bun._

_I screamed in frustration when I found out it was empty. The waste collectors had probably taken away the trash a few hours before I had gotten over here. _

_I pushed myself up, kicking the trashcan once more for good measure and stalking angrily out of the alley I had been going through. That alerted the owner of the store, unfortunatley, and she all but ran out and screamed at me. "I'm _sick _of you beggers always going through my garbage! Why don;t the whole lot of you just get a job and doi something instead of going through people's _garbage_."_

_Maybe it was just the exhaustion, hunger, or the headache..or maybe all three, but I snapped at her words and slapped her across the face. "Don't you think we actualy _try _ to get jobs?" I screetched, glaring at her . "We don't just sit around and beg all day, alright bit-"_

_"What's going on out here?" a vaguely familiar voice asked quietly, the person stepping out not long after. A boy with thick dark hair brushed into a short ponytail and a few stains splattered on his apron stepped out, worry creasing his face._

_It look me a few moments to recognize who he was. Beckett Oliver, one of the most popular guys at Region 12's secondary school. And here I was, standing on the doorstep of his mother's bakery while staring at the red mark on her face indicating where my hand had made contact. And after digging through his garbage can._

_His dark eyes landed on mine, confusion etched across his face as he looked from me to his mother. "Jadelyn?" he asked quietly, tilting his head to the side. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I was just leaving," I snapped, turning on my heel and storming off into the street. I only made it a few feet when the hunger pangs shot through my stomach once again, causing me to unwillingly whimper in response._

_I pulled my knees up to my chest, squeezing my eyes shut and breathing in shakily. No food. Again. I'd have to come home without anything, since the confrontation with Beckett's mother left me with the realization of what the rich in Region 12 were like. _

_Selfish. Cruel. They thought we were below animals- like we weren't even human beings like them. Begging would only reinforce their ideas that we meant nothing in comparison to them._

_"You clumsy, good for nothing boy!" a voice from inside the bakery, presumably Beckett's mother, screamed. The sound of someone hitting someone extended even as far as where I sat by their pig's pen. "Feed it to the pigs, no one will want burned bread!"_

_He stumbled out the door a few moments after, a flaming red handprint painfully evident on his left cheek. After looking inside quickly, he turned to face me and threw the loaves of bread at me before walking back inside._

_I didn't hesitate, just grabbed them and stuffed them into my coat before running as fast as my weak legs could take me to the house I shared with my cousin-the very one where just a year ago I had both a mother and a father._

_She looked up at me, chocolate eyes widening when I tossed the bread onto the table. "Where'd all of this come from?" she asked when she finally remember how, looking from me to the bread and back again._

_"Someone gave it to us," I responded, peeling off my jacket and grabbing a knife off the table. I walked over to the sink, carefully scraping off the burned parts before slicing the bread into pieces._

_Cat grabbed the piece as soon as I offered it to her, tearing off the crust and popping it into her mouth. "Mm..." she said, closing her eyes for a moment before looking up at me. "We're gonna be okay?"_

_The side of my mouth twisted into a faint smile as I took a bite out of my own piece, savoring the taste of the rains and cinnamon. "We're gonna be okay."_

__I can still taste the bread in my mouth as I look over at him. I never did get the chance to thank him any time after that and now I doubt I ever will, considering we'll be trying to kill each other in just a few short weeks. Does he still remember? Or has he just dismissed it as another thing that would help him sleep at night?

Trina grabs my wrist and his, holding our arms up in the air like we're the trophies she's trying to show off. "Presenting Jadelyn West and Beckett Oliver, this year's Region 12's tributes!" she exclaims in an overly exaggerated happy voice. "May the odds be ever in your favor!"

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_**A/N: Oh my God. It's been forever since I updated this and I'm sorry about that. **__**I'm sorry I haven't been on this website as much, and I've been working on some personal tuff. Everything's been crazy since the last time I updated, but I'm not gonna bore you with the details of my personal life. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter.**_

_**Oh, and another thing. I was orignially gonna go by the book and make a few changes here and there to keep it interesting, but I've decided I'll use some of the ideas from THG, but create a different plotline with possibly different outcomes.**_

_**Til next time.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

I sit at the window, my nails sinking into the wood of the frame as I stared outside. I have to get over the fact that I was in the Games with _Beckett_, of all people. I never thanked him for the food- mostly because I didn't want to remind him about the fact that I owed him.

But that doesn't mean I won't kill him if it comes down to the two of us. I have Cat to look after, and I don't trust my father to take care of her. After all, he was the one who abandoned us when things got rough, and even if I wasn't about to head off to the Games, the only person I trust to look after my cousin is Andre.

At least I know he won't be in the arena with me. One less person I care about in a compromising situation.

The sound of the door opening jerks me out of my thoughts, as well as the force of someone latching themselves onto my waist. I don't even have to look down to know it's my cousin. The sound of her sobs fills my ears as I wordlessly lace my arms around her as well.

I run my fingers through her painfully bright hair mindlessly as she begs me to come try. "Jadey, you're strong and smart," she chokes out, burying her face into my stomach. "Maybe you can win this."

"Shh," I mumble, trying to keep myself from melting down the way that she's doing right now. "Kitty, have you seen my father?"

She shakes her head slowly. "He took off as soon as they called your name," she tells me softly, voice breaking through the tears. "I've been with Andre this entire time."

My nails dig into the rough skin of my hands as I try not to snap at her. This isn't the time to yell about my father when this could be one of the last times I might see my cousin. I can't afford to lose it now.

All too soon a Peacekeeper bursts in, walking over to where Cat is kneeling beside me and burying her face into me. "It's time to go," he says expressionlessly.

"No!" Cat shrieks, digging her nails into my sides and clutching the fabric of the dress in her fingers. "Don't take her away from me!"

"Make sure you stay with Andre," I call out above her screams as the guard pulls her out of the room. "And-"

The door slams shut before I have the chance to finish my sentence. I sink into the plush sofa, wrapping my arms around myself and closing my eyes. Was it really just that morning that Cat had been twirling around in her dress, smiling and laughing? It feels like a lifetime ago.

The door opens and shuts as a pair of arms encircle my waist. I don't need to open my eyes to recognize who it is, just bury my face into the crook of his neck as his dreadlocks brush my cheek.

"That was really something out there," he breathes into my ear as he pulls back slightly, one of his hands moving to cup the side of my face. "Jade, I know you know how to take care of yourself. You're good with the bow and arrows, knives, spears-anything you can get your hands on. Maybe you'll be Region 12's third victor ever."

I wrinkle my nose slightly. "That means I'd have to spend all my time in a neighborhood with only a crazy man that has a thing for coconuts as company," I attempt to joke, swallowing the feeling of dread building up in my throat.

He laughs weakly, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. "I'll visit you every day," he promises, smiling faintly. "We'll still hunt whenever we can. Everything will get back to normal."

I nod and attempt to smile back, but I know as well as he does that even if I do come back, things will never be quite the same as it was before. There will always be some part of the Games that I'll never be able to shake.

"Take care of Cat," I remind him, exhaling slowly and looking up into his eyes. "She's all I've got left and my father isn't reliable enough to take care of her while I'm away at the Games."

"Course," he agrees, nodding slightly. "Don't worry about her. You just concentrate at winning this."

A knock at the door signals that our time is up, and before I recognize what's going on Andre drops a quick kiss on my cheek before slipping out of the room. I'm left there to contemplate the meaning of that little gesture.

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The door opens some time after, and Beck walks in with his hands stuffed into his pockets. His face is a mottled shade of red, like he hasn't stopped crying for the past hour or so. I would feel sorry for him, but right now any show of compassion is out of the question.

"What do you want?" I snap in an irritated tone, sitting up and smoothing out the folds in my dress. "And have you ever heard of knocking before entering, or is that something middle classed people don't learn?"

He ignores my jab and gestures to the door. "Trina wants us to get into the cab," he explains, his voice raspy to reinforce the suspicion I had about his crying. "We're getting on the train, and we'll see our mentor at the station."

"She couldn't come here to tell me that herself?"I ask impatiently, shaking my head and pushing past him before he can respond. "Don't answer that."

"Jade," he says, grabbing my arm before I can leave the room. "Calm dow-"

"Don't tell me what to do, and never touch me," I respond, shoving his hand off me and walking off towards the back door of the building. I can't be on good terms with him, even if he did save my life once. Cause now, he'll be the one trying to end it.

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**Alright, so I haven't updated in forever and I'm honestly really sorry about that. Everything's been insane for the past little while and this is the first chance that I've had to update. Sorry if this chapter's kinda crappy. Tell me what you thought in a review? Anyway, I'll try to update sooner.**

**-Dark Angel Night**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5  
_**

Guards escort me to the train while some of the Capitol's cameramen just about kill each other trying to get footage of me and Beckett. I'm determined not to let them get to me, but they're annoying, with all their flashing lights and questions being hollered around the place.

"How do you think your sister's going to react when you come back from the Games?"

"Why did you volunteer?"

"Who was the guy that took the redhead away?"

"Jadelyn!"

"How well do you know your fellow tribute?"

"Do you think you have a chance in the Games, considering that you're from an outlying region?"

"Don't Region 12 have no chance of winning anyways?" "How do you think your sister is going to cope with the stress of the Games?"

"Isn't she crazy anyways?"

My eyes lock on the reporter and I dig my nails into the hand he's holding the microphone with. "What did you say about my sister?" I ask lowly, eyes narrowing as I stepped towards the bizarrely dressed reporter.

The idiot doesn't seem to notice the fact that I'd love nothing more than to crush his skull in or toss him onto the train tracks and watch him get run over. No, all he cares about is the fact that I _noticed_ him. These people make me sick. "There are rumors that she's missing a few bolts, and that she'll have to be locked up not long after you-"

Before he has a chance to finish, I move my hands to his chest and push him as far away from me as I can, knocking a few more dumbfounded reporters along with him. Once again, I'm bombarded with questions, but this time I snatch a microphone out of one of their hands. "I don't _care_ what you idiots want to know!" I all but scream into the device, knowing all the cameras are trained on me when the reporters go silent. "She's not normal, anyone who knows her can't escape that. But I don't want to hear any of that crap about her being locked up."

I hear Beck muttering something about the fact that we should get going, but I ignore him. My eyes meet the camera closest to me, and I hold the microphone back up to my lips. "I'm coming back for you Cat," I promise, looking around at all the people staring at me. "And if they want a good show? I'll give them a show that they'll never forget."

With that, I toss the device onto the floor and walk over to the train. I look back to where Beck is standing, looking at me in confusion. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I gesture for him to come over to where I am. "Come on, bread boy, we don't have all day," I snap, tapping my foot impatiently as he walked over to where I stood.

"Hey, have you seen Trina?" he asks, looking around at the sea of reporters and Peacekeepers swarming around where we stood. "Because I don't think they're gonna let us into the Capitol if we lost our escort."

"Hi, coming through, MOVE IT!" our escort yells at the reporters as she stumbles across the platform in nine inch heels with her arms flailing around as she tries to keep her balance. One of the reporters asks her if she wants some help but she whacks him in the face while trying to get her balance.

Beck rolls his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose before mumbling "I'll get her" to me. He walks over to where she is and offers her his arm, which she graciously accepts-so graciously that she makes a big point of smacking a loud kiss on his cheek while waving madly at the reporters.

It disgusts me how the Capitol people eat it up, asking her about her and Beck's relationship. I turn around and slam the door indignantly before storming off in the direction of the back of the train.

Hopefully, I'll be able to find someplace in this train leading to death where I wouldn't be reminded of how much the Capitol citizens _enjoy_ watching us kill each other as a reminder that we were powerless. But the odds haven't seemed to be in my favor, lately.

* * *

**I'm really sorry about how short this is and how slow updates are. Connection to the internet these days is unreliable . But if you liked it and/or have some ideas for what should happen, leave me a comment or PM me. **

**-DAN**


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